Garment hanger and clamp therefor

ABSTRACT

A garment hanger having a hanger body which includes a top portion and a lower horizontal cross-member spaced from the top portion, with the top portion being slotted to form a support engaging member, a handle provided with a keeper latch which handle and keeper latch are pivotally or rotatably secured as a unit to the hanger body so that when the handle is positioned inwardly of the top of the hanger body the keeper latch will secure the garment hanger to its support, with the arcuate portion of the handle adapted to engage the lower horizontal cross-member to prevent a garment draped thereover from slipping therefrom, said handle adapted to be rotated to extend above the top of the hanger body for carrying, said handle having the arcuate portion of a size to permit all of the fingers of a person&#39;&#39;s hand to be curled around the arcuate portion to provide a firm and convenient hand support.

United States Patent 1 Jaffe Apr. 10, 1973 GARMENT HANGER AND CLAlVlP Primary ExaminerGeorge l-l. Krizmanich THEREFOR Attorney-Max R. Kraus [76] Inventor: Max I. Jaffe, 1240 North Homan Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60651 [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed, Oct 4 1971 A garment hanger having a hanger body which in- [52] US. Cl. ..223/91 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47j 51/94 [58] Field of Search .1 ..223/85, 88, 89, 92, 1 223/94, 91

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,827 10/1937 Simon ..223/88 2,170,319 8/1939 Cantwell ....223/88 3,451,601 6/1969 Pelavin et al. ....223/85 3,131,817 5/1964 Schenkler ....223/85 2,701,082 2/1955 Cohen ..223/85 2,214,118 9/1940 Bracken ....223/85 X 1,160,060 11/1915 Freeman ..223/92 III mmfl l cludes a top portion and a lower horizontal crossmember spaced from the top portion, with the top portion being slotted to form a support engaging member, a handle provided with a keeper latch which handle and keeper latch are pivotally or rotatably secured as a unit to the hanger body so that when the handle is positioned inwardly of the top of the hanger body the keeper latch will secure the garment hanger to its support, with the arcuate portion of the handle adapted to engage the lower horizontal cross-member to prevent a garment draped thereover from slipping therefrom, said handle adapted to be rotated to extend above the top of the hanger body for carrying, said handle having the arcuate portion of a size to permit all of the fingers of a persons hand to be curled around the arcuate portion to provide a firm and con venient hand support.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures "lllllllll llllllllll' 'llllll llll BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of this invention is to provide a garment hanger provided with a handle and a keeper latch connected to and operated by the handle whereby same may be rotated so that the handle is positioned inwardly of the top of the hanger body to engage the lower horizontal cross-member of the hanger body on which a garment, such as trousers, dress, or the like, may be hung or draped over, to prevent the garment from slipping off of the cross-member and to thereby help retain the draped over garment on said hanger.

Another object of this invention is to provide a garment hanger whereby the hanger may be supported and locked by the support engaging member of the hanger to the support, or the handle may be rotated to extend upwardly of the top of the hanger body so that it may be used for carrying the garment in a conventional manner or in a garment bag, and wherein the radius of the handle is such that a persons hand may be curled around the handle to provide a firm grip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the garment hanger of this invention with the handle in handle carrying position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view with the handle rotated 180,from that shown in FIG. 1, in which position the handle engages the garment draped over the crossmember of the hanger body to prevent the garment from slipping.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view of another type of support member usually found in a four-suiter case to which this invention may be attached.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the handle supported on a strap of the garment bag; and

FIG. 6 is an inside view of the keeper latch.

The garment hanger is generally designated by the numeral 10. It includes a hanger body generally indicated at 12, molded or formed preferably of a plastic material, and comprises a top horizontal central portion 14 with downwardly diverging sides 16 joined by a lower horizontal cross-member 18, all integrally formed. Extending upwardly'of the horizontal central portion 14 and formed integrally therewith is an extension or head 20 which is provided with a T-sh'apedslot 22. The extension or head 20 with the T-shaped slot 22 forms a support engaging member generally indicated at 24. The extension or head 20 has an opening 25 extending transversely thereof.

A pivotally mounted keeper latch generally designated by the numeral 26 is mounted for rotational movement with respect to the support engaging member 24. The keeper latch 26 is an integrally formed member made of metal and is shaped as best shown in FIG. 6 to form an annular boss 28 which continues in the form of a flat extension generally indicated at 30, which consists of a side 32 and a horizontal portion 34, which horizontal portion 34 is spaced from the boss to provide a recess 36 therebetween. The boss 28 provides an annular pocket 38 which communicates with an arcuate-shaped section 40. The boss has a centrally positionedopening 42 extending transversely thereof.

The handle generally indicated at 44 is formed of a substantially rigid wire and is shaped to form a large arc or radius or arcuate-shaped portion 46 so that the four fingers of a persons hand can engage same and be curled around it and provide a firm and convenient hand support when carrying the hanger. The handle from the arcuate portion 46 continues inwardly as at 48 and then extends outwardly to form a stem 49 which extends substantially perpendicular to the portion 48. The stem 49 terminates in a curled end 50 which has a circumference of substantially that of the annular pocket 38 of the boss 28.

In assembling the garment hanger, the curled end 50 of the handle 44 is positioned in the pocket 38 of the boss 28, with a portion of the stem 49 positioned in the arcuate-shaped portion 40 of the boss 28 and with the balance of the stem and the rest of the handle extending outwardly thereof. A rivet 52 is secured in the central opening 42 of the boss and extends through the curled end 50 of the handle and also extends through the opening 25 in the extension or head 20. The rivet 52 has a head 53 and its opposite end 54 is spread to secure the parts in assembled relation. This permits the handle 44 and the keeper latch 26 to be pivoted or rotated as a unit relative to the hanger body 12 so that the handle may be rotated, as shown in FIG. 1, to a position above the top horizontal portion 14 of the hanger body when same is used for manually carrying a garment, or the handle may be rotated from that shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 where the arcuate portion 46 is positioned between the top horizontal portion 14 and the cross-member 18 of the hanger body. This permits the support engaging member 24 to be secured to a conventional support bracket 54, shown in FIG. 4, found in a four-suite'r case, and locked thereto by the'keeper latch 26.

The U-shaped bracket arm 55 has a recessed portion 56 at the top thereof which permits the open and T- shaped slot 22 of the head 24 to be inserted onto the top portion through the recess 56, after which the keeper latch 26 is pivoted or rotated to the closed position shown in FIG. 2, to latch it to the bracket 54.

FIG. 2 shows in dotted lines a conventional wire frame 57 which fits into a suitcase which supports a bracket 58 having a support post 59. When the handle 44 is turned to the position shown in FIG. 5 so that the T-slot 22 in the extension or head 20is open, the extension or head 20 forming the support engaging member 24 can then be positioned on the support post 59, after which the handle is pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 2, which positions the keeper latch 26 to latching position to close the open end of the T-slot 22.

FIG. 5 shows the invention in relation to a garment bag 60. As shown, the handle 44 would be positioned in a hand carrying position upwardly of the top of the hanger body and extends through an opening in the top of the garment bag. The handle engages a flexible strap 62 which is supported on the flexible handle 63 of the garment bag to support same.

An important feature of this invention is that when the handle 44 is pivoted to the position shown in FIG. 2, inwardly between the top 14 and the horizontal cross-member 18 of the hanger body 12, that the arcuate-shaped portion 46 of the handle will be contiguous to and in substantial contact with the horizontal crossmember 18 of the hanger body. It will be understood that the horizontal cross-member of the hanger body is adapted to support a garment, such as trousers, skirt, or the like 65, which is hung or draped across said horizontal cross-member 18, and when the handle is moved to the position shown in FIG. 2, the arcuate portion 46 of the handle will contact the garment suspended on the cross-member and will engage same and thereby prevent the garment from slipping off of the cross-member 18, which would normally occur if the handle did not engage the garment. Thus, the handle serves a very important function in that in addition to supporting the garment hanger it also serves to apply a pressure against the garment and the horizontal crossmember 18 of the hanger to keep the garment on the hanger and to prevent it from sliding off of the crossmember 18.

What is claimed is:

l. A garment hanger having a hanger body with a top central portion and downwardly extending sides connected at their lower ends to a lower horizontal crossmember spaced from the top portion said top central portion having an opening to engage a support engaging member whereby it may be positioned on a support member, a member rotatably secured to said central portion and being rotatable in a plane parallel to the hanger body, said member having a keeper latch at one end and a combination handle and clamp means on the other end thereof, said keeper latch having a horizontal portion extending over and closing said opening so that the garment hanger may be supported on a support member when the handle and clamp member is rotated inwardly in a non-handle carrying position and is positioned between the top central portion and the lower horizontal cross-member of the garment hanger, said handle and clamp member having an arcuate-shaped handle portion having a radius whereby the handle portion may extend fully across a human hand so that four fingers of a human hand may be curled around said arcuate-shaped portion to provide a firm and convenient hand support for carrying same when said handle member is rotated to extend above the top central portion of the hanger body for hand carrying position, said handle and clamp member when rotated and positioned in non-hand carrying position being positioned between the top central portion and above the lower horizontal cross-member with a portion of said arcuateshaped handle portion being in close proximity to said horizontal cross-member and above the top of the lower horizontal cross-member to contact and extend over a garment draped over the cross-member and clamp garment on said cross-member and keep it from slipping therefrom.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the top central portion has an extension extending upwardly thereof and in which the extension is an integral part of the hanger body and said extension and hanger body are integrally formed of a plastic material.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the opening is a T-slot which is adapted to be opened and closed by the keeper latch.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the arcuate-shaped handle portion has an inwardly extending portion and an outwardly extending stem which isperpendicular to said inwardly extending portion and in which said handle member is integrally formed.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the handle has a curled inner end and in which the keeper latch has a boss which provides a chamber for receiving the curled inner end of the handle.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the handle has a stem and in which the keeper latch has an arcuate-shaped portion communicating with the chamber of the boss and wherein a portion of the stem is confined in the arcuate-shaped portion so that rotation of the handle rotates said keeper latch.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 6 in which the boss of the keeper latch has a central opening and in which a connecting member is supported in said opening to extend through the curled end of the handle to secure the handle to the hanger body. 7

8. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the handle has a curled inner end and in which the keeper latch has a boss which provides a chamber for receiving the curled inner end of the handle and in which the handle has a stem which is secured to the keeper latch to rotate simultaneously therewith. 

1. A garment hanger having a hanger body with a top central portion and downwardly extending sides connected at their lower ends to a lower horizontal cross-member spaced from the top portion said top central portion having an opening to engage a support engaging member whereby it may be positioned on a support member, a member rotatably secured to said central portion and being rotatable in a plane parallel to the hanger body, said member having a keeper latch at one end and a combination handle and clamp means on the other end thereof, said keeper latch having a horizontal portion extending over and closing said opening so that the garment hanger may be supported on a support member when the handle and clamp member is rotated inwardly in a non-handle carrying position and is positioned between the top central portion and the lower horizontal cross-member of the garment hanger, said handle and clamp member having an arcuateshaped handle portion having a radius whereby the handle portion may extend fully across a human hand so that four fingers of a human hand may be curled around said arcuate-shaped portion to provide a firm and convenient hand support for carrying same when said handle member is rotated to extend above the top central portion of the hanger body for hand carrying position, said handle and clamp member when rotated and positioned in non-hand carrying position being positioned between the top central portion and above the lower horizontal cross-member with a portion of said arcuate-shaped handle portion being in close proximity to said horizontal cross-member and above the top of the lower horizontal cross-member to contact and extend over a garment draped over the cross-member and clamp garment on said cross-member and keep it from slipping therefrom.
 2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the top central portion has an extension extending upwardly thereof and in which the extension is an integral part of the hanger body and said extension and hanger body are integrally formed of a plastic material.
 3. A structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the opening is a T-slot which is adapted to be opened and closed by the keeper latch.
 4. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the arcuate-shaped handle portion has an inwardly extending portion and an outwardly extending stem which is perpendicular to said inwardly extending portion and in which said handle member is integrally formed.
 5. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the handle has a curled inner end and in which the keeper latch has a boss which provides a chamber for receiving the curled inner end of the handle.
 6. A structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the handle has a stem and in which the keeper latch has an arcuate-shaped portion communicating with the chamber of the boss and wherein a portion of the stem is confined in the arcuate-shaped portion so that rotation of the handle rotates said keeper latch.
 7. A structure as set forth in claim 6 in which the boss of the keeper latch has a central opening and in which a connEcting member is supported in said opening to extend through the curled end of the handle to secure the handle to the hanger body.
 8. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the handle has a curled inner end and in which the keeper latch has a boss which provides a chamber for receiving the curled inner end of the handle and in which the handle has a stem which is secured to the keeper latch to rotate simultaneously therewith. 